Increasingly, consumers are choosing devices and products for the home and workplace that not only provide standard, functional operation, but are also aesthetically pleasing, environmentally conservative, socially responsible, and universally accessible. Such devices and products are generally more attractive, energy saving, cost reducing, environmentally conscious, and barrier free. Such products that meet many or all of these consumer desires are increasingly favored in the marketplace.
Though such energy-friendly and/or universally accessible, such as Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”)-compliant, products are often objectively superior, barriers often include cost, ease of use, and simplicity of installation. For example, standard toggle switches are found in the majority of residential and commercial settings but are not ADA-compliant and suffer from the common problem of forgetting to turn off the switch, thereby wasting energy and other resources.
Although lifestyle trends illustrate a growing preference for the use of rocker, flat panel, and other universally accessible switches, rather than the commonly used toggle switch, installation is a substantial deterrent to many consumers as they lack the ability to safely, and correctly, remove an existing toggle switch and install a rocker or flat panel switch and therefore require the services of an electrician, thereby increasing installation cost. Even for electricians trained in such electrical systems, the time required to replace a standard toggle switch, particularly in high volume, is a substantial deterrent to replacement and conversion.
Moreover, failure to turn off a bathroom fan or bedroom light, for example, when leaving a room is a common problem resulting in a waste of energy, shortening of the lifespan of the electrical device requiring earlier replacement, and a rise in utility costs. Timer devices, particularly those used in conjunction with a light or fan switch, provide an effective method of eliminating unnecessary energy usage. By automatically and/or selectively turning off a switch which has unintentionally been left on, energy usage is reduced and utility costs are lowered. However, energy-saving switches generally require communication with a motion detection system, at a substantial cost to the consumer, or require replacement of an existing switch with an entire switch apparatus, including electrical components such as widely available electrical timer-based bathroom fans, thereby suffering from the same deficiencies noted above, including increased cost and inconvenience, among others.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an easy-to-install, safe, convenient, and cost-effective method and apparatus for replacing an existing switch with a universally accessible, energy efficient switch.
It will be appreciated that for purposes of clarity and where deemed appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated in the figures to indicate corresponding features.